


Down to Earth

by SHADOWSQUILL



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fob watch, Human!Doctor, Ninth Doctor month, Regenerate Nine, Time Petals Prompts, hurt!Doctor, married!Doctor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2018-12-29 19:36:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 11,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12091956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHADOWSQUILL/pseuds/SHADOWSQUILL
Summary: "Instead of killing himself, he could rewrite his whole life and have a better one. He only had to use the Chameleon arch. And maybe finally be happy in a life where his past as killer wouldn’t weight so much on his shoulders."





	1. Prologue

Once upon a time, there was a man traveling through all of time and space to satisfy his curiosity. Born in one of the most prestigious families of Gallifrey, he refused to follow the rules and codes of his own people to live his lives the way he wanted. Staying still and being the simple witness of all the course of Time wasn’t just something he could do. He would rather steal a TARDIS and discover the universe, and stick his oar in all the conflicts he could find. He wasn’t much of a fighter. He was just intervening here and there and fixing the small troubles that could have a repercussion on Time. Time Lords were only watching over Time and never went outside their planet. That’s probably why he had quickly become their special agent, their _puppet_. They had all control on his TARDIS and were sending him wherever they wanted him to be. Until he saved the galaxy from Omega.  
  
As much as they hated it, the Doctor remained a complete free spirit and never decided to stay on Gallifrey to take his responsibilities, to do his duty the right way. He had always been different from them, always had gone against the rules. He had always been an outcast, and now he had a reason to be considered that way. And he didn’t care anymore. He was doing what he had always wanted to do, and he was happy with that life. Whenever he was feeling alone, he found someone pretty interesting as his companion – they were mostly human – and was traveling with them. Oh, the great adventures!  
  
Well, until the Time War began. Until he was forced to come back and fought for his people and planet. But once again, he wasn’t much of a fighter. He had taken so many lives in that War. The lives of his enemies, but also the lives of his own kind. In the end, he had taken everyone’s lives but his. He had exterminated Gallifrey, the Daleks and the Time Lords and had run away like the freaking coward he had always been. Now, he was left alone in a universe he didn’t belong to anymore. He was hurt and bleeding and completely beaten. He didn’t see the point of fighting or traveling anymore but couldn’t find the courage to end his life. He had regenerated into a new man, hoping it would change something, but it didn’t. He was living with the remorse and grief and guilt of everything he had done to protect the universe. And he still didn’t have the courage of ending his life.  
  
So he had another idea. Instead of killing himself, he could rewrite his whole life and have a better one. He only had to use the Chameleon arch. He found his fob watch somewhere in his bedroom. He could say goodbye to his Time Lord life without any regret. He wouldn’t bear the weight to be the only survivor of an extinct race. He would turn himself as a human and try to fit in on Earth, a planet he had always been attached too. And maybe finally be happy in a life where his past as killer wouldn’t weight so much on his shoulders.  
  
The process was really painful but he didn’t regret it at any moment. The TARDIS was rewriting his whole life, creating a new ID for him along with a human past. Only then, his ship crashed on Earth, leaving him completely lost in London. From now on, he was Maxence Spitz, a science teacher, with a better future coming for him. It was to hope.


	2. Chapter I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But her questions were falling on deaf ears. No one wanted to respond her. The panic was increasing with every second she was left without an answer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the chapters of this story will be very short. Around 400/500 words. I usually write long chapters, and decided to keep those ones short after I've started that story through iMessages with a friend.  
> The whole story is written for the [TimePetalsPrompts](http://timepetalsprompts.tumblr.com/) September challenge: Ninth Doctor fob watch AU.

A lot of cars were parked in front of the Spitz’s villa in that early afternoon of September. Those cars mostly belonged to the police and forensics. An incident had happened there and it had all turned wrong for the poor man living there. Thankfully, he was there. Thankfully, he was home alone when someone had sneaked into the house to steal from them, thinking there wouldn’t be anyone. His wife and children – two boys aged of five and six – were away from home when it had all occurred. But Rose was there now, stuck in the middle of cops telling her she couldn’t access her own house for a reason they weren’t giving her. The kids were staying at her grandmother Jackie’s for the day since Maxence and Rose were taking a day for themselves. But that day wouldn’t happen. Panic was clutching at the stomach of the young woman at the sight of all those officers and forensics around the house.  
  
“I-I need to know,” she stammered. “What’s happening? Where’s my husband? Is he alright?”  
  
But her questions were falling on deaf ears. No one wanted to respond her. The panic was increasing with every second she was left without an answer. She picked at her fingers nervously. Obviously all the neighbours were around to watch the scene and Rose felt like she was suffocating in the midst of the crowd. She was trying to get to her house but she was always pushed away like a simple gawker. Suddenly, someone yelled something that made her heart stop. She felt very bad as the colours faded away from her face. She was about to faint: something had happened to her Maxence, something that really was wrong.  
  
“Call an ambulance! He’s still alive!”  
  
The crowd seemed to hold his breath back as the urgency of the situation was clearly felt in the air. Rose couldn’t handle so much tension. She was having troubles to breathe. A panic attack. Everyone was so focused on the moves in the villa, on trying not to lose anything from the scene so they could tell their own version later, that they didn’t notice that the young woman was losing her grip on reality. But they would add the fact that Maxence’s wife had fainted on the place where her husband was brutally attacked.


	3. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Her husband had been attacked. They had thought he was dead, but he wasn’t. And now, where was he?"

“Ma’am? Ma’am, do you hear me?”  
  
As Rose was slowly coming back to consciousness, someone opened her eyes and put a torch in them. She didn’t know who it was. All she knew was it wasn’t her Maxence taking care of her like they had planned to. Memories came back to her mind bringing back the fear she had felt earlier. Her husband had been attacked. They had thought he was dead, but he wasn’t. And now, where was he? She needed him by her side before she did another panic attack that would send her into the darkness once again.  
  
“She’s coming back.”  
  
There was a lot of noises around her. Someone was talking to her. Someone else was breathing loudly – or was it her own breathing? There was the sound of a radio and she could also hear cars. They were on the road. There was a siren roaring close, very close. The siren of an ambulance. But she wasn’t in a car driving close to an ambulance. She was in the emergency vehicle rolling at a high speed, taking her away from her house, from her dear husband.  
  
“M-Max…” she muttered. “I wanna see… Max…”  
  
“Maxence Spitz is her husband,” explained someone.  
  
“You can’t see him yet, ma’am. We’re taking him to the closest hospital. We’re taking you there too. You fainted, do you remember?”  
  
Rose was too tired to open her eyes. Her Maxence was being brought to the hospital. Her Maxence had been thought dead. Meaning he was in a very bad condition. What the hell had happened? It was all so confusing and terrifying. But not as terrifying as what was coming. A talkie-walkie crackled. Or a radio. Something.  
  
“We’re too late. We’ve lost him. They will have to record his death.”  
  
That was the last straw for the poor Rose. Maxence was dead. She was left alone. She couldn’t see her life without him. She felt powerless at the simple idea of living without him and the panic was overwhelming her. She couldn’t calm herself down and soon enough, she fell into the darkness again.


	4. Chapter III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She didn’t want to believe he was dead. She would feel it in her guts if he was dead and she had the feeling that he was still alive. Whatever had happened, he was alive."

When she opened her eyes for the second time, Rose was in a hospital room. Alone. Her family obviously didn’t know about her being there. So they didn’t know about Maxence either. It was for the better. And for now, she was alone with that news. That so terrible news. She couldn’t bear the thought of it but she couldn’t panic anymore. She was just so numb. Probably because of some meds she had been given. Probably because of something else. Who knew?  
  
As soon as a nurse came back to check on her, Rose asked for her husband. She didn’t want to believe he was dead. She would feel it in her guts if he was dead and she had the feeling that he was still alive. Whatever had happened, he was alive. So, when the doctors decided that she could handle it, when they saw that her heart was strong enough to cope with the truth, they took her to the morgue and uncovered the top of the body, keeping the rest, from the shoulders to the feet, covered. They had all expected her to break down at the sight of the broken body of her husband.  
  
They stepped back as she came closer to the body. Tears were in her eyes. He had been beaten so badly that he was unrecognizable. His eyes were closed and swollen. The memory of the amazing piercing blue eyes crossed her mind. She remembered all the times he had looked at her with those eyes. How many times had she drown in the icy blue eyes that seemed to hypnotise her every time. She was tempted to open them just to see them one last time. Even if she knew they would be covered with the veil of death now. But they would be as beautiful as ever.  
  
She cupped her husband’s cheek with her hand. His skin was so cold under her fingers. He hadn’t been dead for long but the morgue was keeping his temperature low for the body’s preservation. She slowly stroked his face, touching every feature to be able to remember them later. Her fingers wandered on his neck and uncovered his shoulders softly. Then, she had a reaction no one had expected from her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she laughed in relief.  
  
“It’s not him,” she murmured in relief, so relieved. “It’s not my Maxence.”  
  
Because her Maxence had been attacked by a dog when he was a young boy and that attack had left a scar on his right shoulder. And that scar she had so many times stroked and kissed before wasn’t there. Her Maxence was alive. Somewhere. But who was that guy the police had found in their villa?


	5. Chapter IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Maxence wouldn’t be in the house. He would have run away from there as soon as possible, but he couldn’t have gone far."

Soon as Rose was allowed to leave the hospital, she started looking for her husband. He was most likely hurt because he would have tried to defend himself against his attacker. Considering the importance of the other man’s injuries – and the fact he had died from them – Maxence should be no better. He wasn’t a fighter at all. He sometimes was involved in fights, though he wasn’t the one starting them, whenever he was out at night with friends. He was so clever he often didn’t realise that his words could be insulting to someone else. And the less intelligent people always responded with fists when they were a bit tipsy. How many times had she had to put ice on his bruises and sore body! How many times had she told him to be more careful when he was around “stupid” people!  
  
Maxence only fought when he was forced to, when someone left him no choice but to defend himself, to protect himself. And Rose knew that was what had happened earlier in the day. He surely was in a lame condition. She didn’t know how much time had passed since the attack. What if he hadn’t survived? He couldn’t be too far from their home. The police hadn’t found him yet but they didn’t know where to look to find him. Rose did.  
  
The access to their home was still prohibited because an inquiry was open to find what had happened. But it didn’t matter to Rose. Maxence wouldn’t be in the house. He would have run away from there as soon as possible, but he couldn’t have gone far. If a neighbour had seen him, they would have called a doctor to help him. So, he must be on their property. It was large enough for him to have found a hidden place. Rose managed to enter her courtyard. She looked for Maxence in the garages, in the pool shed, in the kids’ hut he had built himself for them a few years ago.  
  
She finally found him in the small tool shed in the back of their courtyard. He was slouched against the wall facing the entrance, covered in blood and sweat, barely breathing. He had been beaten to death and when Rose knelt down beside him, she found out he had been stabbed too and that he had done his best to stop the blood. She cupped his cheek and a small smile crossed his dry lips.  
  
“My Rose…” he murmured weakly. “I’m so sorry… He sneaked into our house…” he continued though it was weakening him. “Stabbed me in the back… Fought as much as I could…”  
  
Rose shushed him before he could continue speaking and held him close to her, her arm carefully wrapped around his waist. Silent tears were sliding down her cheeks. She didn’t know if he would survive his wounds. She called an ambulance  anyway as he was slipping into darkness, silently praying for him to hold on. She wouldn’t be able to live without him.


	6. Chapter V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And the time had never seemed so slow to her. It could be completely still that she wouldn’t see any difference. Her own lifetime had stopped the moment Maxence lost consciousness."

There she was now. Back to square one. Back to the hospital. For the right man that time. For her Maxence who had clung to life all the way to the emergencies. For her husband who was fighting not to give up on them. For the man she loved and whose blood was all over her clothes and skin. She was waiting anxiously for the surgeon to be done with Maxence, for the surgeon who was trying to save him. And the time had never seemed so slow to her. It could be completely still that she wouldn’t see any difference. Her own lifetime had stopped the moment Maxence lost consciousness. She could barely breathe. Her life was on hold until she got news from her husband.  
  
She was thinking about the day she had met him. He was a science teacher who had just lost everything in a fire. He was living in an abandoned warehouse. He was fixing things people were giving him for a living. It was just a few pennies here and there but he was saving them. Rose was part of the volunteers that were coming to feed the homeless in the district he was hiding in. With the time passing, they had become friends and she had employed him as her handyman. She couldn’t give him much money but he had always accepted it gratefully and saved it preciously. And over the month, what was bound to ensue did happen: they fell for each other. For the better and for the worse.  
  
When they had gotten engaged, he had given her a fob watch with strange symbols on it. Despite his condition, he had never sold it and Rose could tell it had a deep meaning for him though he never explained it to her. He had asked her to keep it for him. She had never understood why but she had promised. The watch was never leaving her. And as she waited, her blood-covered fingers were tracing the symbols on the watch. It was keeping her hands busy, but her mind kept on wandering to her hurt husband and the worry she was feeling for him. Their family didn’t even know. She hadn’t called them yet. But they must have seen the news and be as worried as her. She would call them later, when she would know more about Maxence’s current condition. Which wouldn’t take long since the surgeon was coming to her.


	7. Chapter VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He was alive and in the clear. That’s all she needed to hear right now. She would help him through his recovery."

Rose looked up at the surgeon as he was walking to her. Her heart was filled with hope, hope for her husband to have survived to that attack. He was in a lame condition but he was strong so she was feeling in her guts that he had survived. She didn’t know how she would take it if her hope was shattered, if Maxence hadn’t made it. But she was always seeing the good part in things. It was Maxence’s part to see the bad in everything.  
  
“Mrs Spitz?”  
  
“That’s me.”  
  
“Your husband is out of the OR. We’ve just transferred him to the ICU.”  
  
“How is he?” she immediately asked.  
  
“Alive, and in the clear.”  
  
Rose closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her heart, letting out a deep sigh of relief. He was alive and in the clear. That’s all she needed to hear right now. She would help him through his recovery. He would be surrounded by his family. No one was gonna let him down.  
  
“Has he suffered from any health troubles in the past?”  
  
Rose was surprised by the question, but now that she was thinking of it, she had never seen him sick. Even when he was living in the streets. He always said that he had a great immune system. It maybe was true in the end.  
  
“No, not that I know. Why? Did you find something?”  
  
“Mr Spitz seems to have a very high blood pressure. He doesn’t look bothered by it but we have to do a more advanced analysis to determine the problem.”  
  
“Is that all?”  
  
“He’s fought really hard to survive. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was getting better quickly.”  
  
“Can I see him?”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
The surgeon took her to Maxence’s room. Her husband looked as bad as the moment she had found him in the tool shed, except he was covered in bandages. He wasn’t awake yet, but he wasn’t linked to dreadful machines. Only a heart monitor and a nasal cannula. She had thought it would be worse.  
  
“He’s gonna wake up soon. We haven’t given him any painkiller since you’ve told us he was allergic to them. So, he’s gonna be in some pain.”  
  
“Alright. Thanks.”  
  
The surgeon left her in Maxence’s room and she sat there, on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to wake up, holding his hand so he would know he wasn’t alone.


	8. Chapter VII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He was cold. Much colder than usual. She assumed it was because of the surgery, because of the hospital. But it would get better. Eventually."

“Hey, babe.”  
  
Those were Maxence’s first words when he woke up from the anaesthesia. His throat was dry, and that was obvious in his voice. Rose gave him some water to drink, and put the cup away. She had called her mother while waiting and talked to the kids to tell them not to worry, that she was watching over their daddy, that he was okay. Beside the kids, Maxence only had Rose as his family. Only her could be sat by his side right now. That’s why he wasn’t worried, how he had known it was her by his side though he wasn’t very awake.  
  
“Hey,” murmured Rose in return.  
  
She softly kissed his lips. She took his hand in hers and gently stroked it. He was cold. Much colder than usual. She assumed it was because of the surgery, because of the hospital. But it would get better. Eventually.  
  
“How are you feeling?”  
  
“Strangely, as if I had been beaten and stabbed.”  
  
“You’re an idiot.”  
  
“But you love me.”  
  
“I do.”  
  
They didn’t talk much after that since Maxence needed all the rest he could get for a good recovery. He had to talk to the police when he woke up for the second time. He explained everything that had happened – what he could remember at least – from the guy coming in for a robbery to going to the tool shed as a hiding place until Rose found him there. He fell into another light sleep after that. He was getting tired really quickly because his body was using a lot of energy to fix itself. And when he opened his eyes for the third time, he found a thoughtful Rose stroking the fob watch he had once giving her.  
  
“What’re you thinking of?”  
  
“The day you gave me that watch. I still don’t know why you did it.”  
  
“I can’t remember. But it’s still a cool watch.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Rose?”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“There’s something I gotta tell you.”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“I can’t feel my legs anymore.”  
  
“That’s probably just because you’re numb with anaesthetics and sleep, love.”  
  
“That’s what I thought the first two times I woke up. But I remember… I’ve crawled to the tool shed because I already couldn’t feel my legs anymore.”  
“You’ve been beaten to death, Max. Your body is trying to recover. You’ll be alright in a few days.”  
  
Rose smiled softly at him, refusing to believe the truth. And yet, Maxence knew what he was saying. He was very clever and had studied sciences. Every sort of sciences. She cupped his cheek, but noticed he looked distracted. He was looking at the watch. As if he was hypnotised by it.


	9. Chapter VIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The weirdest thing of all in that row of words was they were pronounced with his voice. That was his own voice talking to him."

Maxence hadn’t taken his eyes off of the watch. He was completely oblivious of what was happening. As weird as it was, that small object he had given no importance to all those years was calling him. It was talking to him, telling incoherent things that still made sense to him. He was really tempted to grab the watch and open it to hear the full story. He was getting very curious now. He had forgotten the pain, the paralysis, the hospital room. Even his wife. All that mattered was that watch which was the most important thing at the moment. But it was out of his reach unfortunately.  
  
“Max?” Rose called out.  
  
“…”  
  
“Max?” she repeated. “Do you hear me, love?”  
  
Lost in a world of words that would make anyone else go insane, Maxence didn’t hear her at all. The weirdest thing of all in that row of words was they were pronounced with his voice. That was his own voice talking to him. His own accent was telling him non-sense and his mind wanted to believe it. For a reason he ignored.  
  
His sudden hypnosis was broken by Rose’s insisting voice and her soft touch on him. She was bringing him back to reality slowly. She was afraid he might have been in the middle of a flashback that could freak him out if she wasn’t careful. But, as always, she was doing it the right way, and when he was back to reality, he was perfectly calm. Confused, but calm. He blinked a few times and looked back at Rose.  
  
“Sorry. I got lost in my thoughts.”  
  
“No, you looked hypnotised by the watch.”  
  
“I need to go back home.”  
  
“You can’t yet, honey.”  
  
“I can’t stay here.”  
  
He pushed the covers away, avoiding to look at his painful body, and propped himself up on his elbows. He really needed Rose’s help. He took the nasal cannula away and took the small pliers off his finger, causing the machine to beep loudly until he turned it off himself. Rose only stopped him when he tried pulling off the catheter.  
  
“I need you help since… Well, I can’t walk on my own yet.”  
  
“I refuse, Max. You’ve almost died from that attack. You need the rest and the doctors.”  
  
“But I am a doctor!”  
  
His own words surprised him and his eyes drifted back to the watch. It still was calling him, asking him to open it. Rose was confused now. Maxence sure was a doctor in a way. He was so clever he had a few doctorates which made him a doctor. But not that kind of doctor. She also had the feeling that there was something more behind his words. What did that mean?


	10. Chapter IX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Her Maxence was being looked at in a way she hated. As if he was a new species coming out of nowhere. Someone worth studying."

In the end, Rose decided to take her Maxence out of the hospital without the doctor’s authorisation. Not because he was insisting – he had been pretty quiet for a while, only staring at the watch even when a nurse came to change his bandages – but because the doctor’s questions were getting stranger and stranger and she didn’t like it at all. Apparently, they had found anomalies in Maxence’s blood test and in the X-rays they had done. Her Maxence was being looked at in a way she hated. As if he was a new species coming out of nowhere. Someone worth studying. Rose wouldn’t let anyone look at him that way or use him as an experiment subject.  
  
So, soon as she had gotten an opportunity, she had taken him back to their home. After Maxence’s statement, the police had allowed them to get back in their house. It was clearly self-defence. The inquiry wasn’t completely done but it would be soon. Rose would have to let her Maxence know that he wasn’t accused of anything. Poor man was half asleep when she had driven him home, and he was awfully in pain. But it was getting better when she tucked him well in bed. She lay down next to him and stayed with him for a moment. She called their children again to give them news. Maxence was okay so far. He was sleeping deeply. He would be hungry when he would wake up so Rose left the watch in his hand and went to the kitchen to prepare something nice for him to eat later.  
  
She wasn’t showing anything but she was worried. She kept thinking about the doctor’s words. The man looked really intrigued and curious about the anomalies found in Maxence’s medical results. He was so focused on it that he hadn’t even said a thing about the paralysis. Maxence had found about it alone and no one knew if it was gonna be definitive or not. And Rose was afraid to go and see another doctor who would find anomalies too and try to keep her Maxence for more tests. With that attack, he would be vulnerable for a while, and she had to protect him from everything. He wasn’t realising it yet but when he would be fully aware of the paralysis, he might not take it very well.  
  
Rose sighed. The days to come wouldn’t be the easiest. She hadn’t told their children, nor her mother about Maxence’s condition. Jackie had agreed to keep them until Maxence was better. It was one less thing to worry about, but the kids would come over and see how their daddy was. How would they react when they would understand their amazing daddy wouldn’t be able to play with them the way he used to before? What could she tell them all? She hoped that it was only temporary, but she doubted it. He had said he already couldn’t feel his legs before she found him in the tool shed. That left very small room to hope. Unfortunately.


	11. Chapter X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "However, Maxence had the feeling that the happy days wouldn’t last. He had a bad feeling since that attack, and he hated that."

When Maxence woke up, the first thing he noticed was the smell of food in the house. Rose was cooking for him and it made him smile. They were back home and she was already pampering him and making sure he was alright. He liked those little attentions but he also liked his independence. She knew where to stop and give him some space thankfully. It was amazing how they had gotten along so well with each other, how they were challenging each other, but only making each other better every day. He looked at the pictures of them on the wall. They were so happy together. However, Maxence had the feeling that the happy days wouldn’t last. He had a bad feeling since that attack, and he hated that.  
  
He stretched his painful body and let out a grunt. If his legs were numb, the rest of his body wasn’t and the pain wasn’t a little one. He clenched his teeth and waited for it to get better. At least, enough for him to breathe again. He tried to focus on something else. Anything. That’s how he noticed something in his hand. He looked down at the small and cold object he was holding. The watch. Rose had left it to him while she was downstairs to cook. He stroked the symbols on it with his thumb. He could feel every groove of the circles. His mind was trying to decipher them as if there really was a meaning behind the aesthetics. It only had the advantage to make him forget about the pain.  
  
Now that he was the one holding the watch, it was speaking louder to him. Maxence was feeling like the watch was trying to access his mind, was trying to show and tell him something only him could understand. Pushed by his curiosity, he finally opened it and was taken aback by the information flooding his mind. His life as Maxence Spitz was just a big lie. He was someone else. He had chosen to forget his real identity after he lost everything. By pretending to be a human, he had found happiness and a family. He had a wonderful house, a beautiful, gentle and clever wife, and two adorable children. He didn’t want to lose any of that, but he couldn’t pretend to be someone else now. What could he do?  
  
He wasn’t Maxence Spitz anymore. He was back to his Time Lord self, back to the Doctor. The only survivor of a terrible war. And the survivor he was had stayed hidden for too long. It was time to stop hiding. He got up. His TARDIS wasn’t far. She was hidden but close. He had to find her. He had just forgotten one thing and his sudden and brutal encounter with the ground reminded him that he couldn’t walk anymore. Great.


	12. Chapter XI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He maybe had hurt himself in his fall. Since he couldn’t feel or move his legs, he wouldn’t know. And if he had fallen the wrong way…"

Rose rushed upstairs as soon as she heard the loud noise. She knew well what it meant. Maxence had woken up and he had tried to get up. She cursed herself. She should have known. She should have left a note for him not to try. He maybe had hurt himself in his fall. Since he couldn’t feel or move his legs, he wouldn’t know. And if he had fallen the wrong way… There were multiple reasons for her to be afraid as she was climbing the stairs, but none of them was about him finding out who he truly was. She should know better. One day or another, his memories would obviously come back to him. She had thought it wouldn’t be so long, but she had also hoped that it would last for a while.

She had found out Maxence’s true nature a few weeks after he gave her the watch. It appeared it could talk to her. She had been intrigued and had written down everything she could hear. She had found his space ship and made connections. She hadn’t run away. She had stayed with him. She had known ever since that his memories would come back, that he would leave and get back to the planet he belonged to. However, she hadn’t been able to stop herself from falling in love with that version of him. And now, they were married and had a family together. What would they do for that? Would he just leave them? Rose knew she couldn’t force him to stay. It wasn’t her right. But she would be heartbroken if he chose to leave them behind.

No wonder why the doctors thought there were anomalies in his blood and x-rays. It simply was because he wasn’t human and they couldn’t find out about his real nature. If they did, they would definitely want him as a science experiment, and Rose would never accept that. She had to protect him at all costs. That’s why she had kept so silent about what she knew. She hadn’t talked to anyone about her husband real nature. Not even to him. How would he react when he would find out that she knew? He would be surprised. Or ashamed. Who knew? There surely was a reason why his memories had disappeared. Had he erased his own memories? Or had his accident caused it?

Rose entered the bedroom and found her husband crawling on the ground as he was trying to get up. She helped him and forced him to sit down on the bed. She held him close to her and made sure he wasn’t hurt. He had fallen the right way. If there was any right way to fall.

 

“You alright?”

“That’s not what I’d say,” he replied bitterly.

“You can’t get up yet.”

“I can’t get up at all, you mean.”

“Max…”

“Maxence Spitz has never existed. This is not my name.”

 

Rose’s heart fell in her chest. She looked around and saw the open watch on the bed. Whatever that small object had told him, it had brought his memory back. What were they gonna do now?


	13. Chapter XII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Now that he had his memories back, he knew that life wasn’t his. Ten years. He had spent ten years into a human skin."

The Doctor slightly moved away from Rose. Now that he had his memories back, he knew that life wasn’t his. Ten years. He had spent ten years into a human skin. What amazing ten years it had been! He had never been as happy in his life. In all his lives. Meeting Rose Tyler had been the best thing that ever happened to him. And now, he was gonna throw it all away. Well, that’s what he was supposed to do but things were complicated. He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t run. Piloting the TARDIS was completely out of the question. He didn’t know if his Time Lord genes could fix his body. Was he stuck with that paralysis? Or would it be fine with a regeneration? Could a coma fix him? He needed his screwdriver.

 

“Who are you then?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“I want to know who I’m married to.”

 

The Doctor sighed. She was right. They were married. Actually, she was married to a fake man. A fake ID created by the TARDIS for him. What he had felt as a human was real though. He had fallen in love with that blonde woman. He had children with her. Children who most likely had Time Lord genes. What could he say? What could he do?

 

“I heard your watch,” admitted Rose.

“You did?”

“I know you’re not human. I’ve seen your ship.”

“For how long have you known?”

“Since we’ve gotten engaged, since you’ve given me the watch. I listened to it, I took notes, I found the ship. The blue box. Bigger on the inside.”

“She let you in?”

“That key you had, I opened the door with it.”

“Why haven’t you run away?”

“Because I love you.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I know you. I know the man you are. Human or alien, that doesn’t change much. What I don’t know is your name.”

“I’m the Doctor, and I’m far away from the man Maxence was to you.”

 

He didn’t see any reason to lie anymore. Since she knew part of the truth, since she wasn’t afraid of him, he could tell her everything. He had been with her for ten years. Ten long years, and he had trusted her with his life when he was human. Why would it be different now?


	14. Chapter XIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There was a long silence after the Doctor was done telling his story to Rose. She hadn’t said a thing while he was speaking."

There was a long silence after the Doctor was done telling his story to Rose. She hadn’t said a thing while he was speaking. She hadn’t run away either. He had studied her, and she hadn’t been scared. Not even once. She wasn’t looking at him as if he was a monster. She was sad, but she was sad for him, because of his story. He could feel some of her emotions now thanks to the bond they had built over the years of him being human. He could read her will not to let him down, to help him through his recovery. Physical and psychological. He could feel her touch being as gentle and loving as it had been those past years. Nothing had changed for her. He was the same in her eyes, when he was the complete opposite of the man she had known and gotten married to.

Rose raised a hand and cupped his cold cheek. The habit made him lean into her warm touch and closed his eyes as her thumb traced circles on his skin. She smiled softly. He didn’t see it, but he imagined it on her lips. He didn’t know what to do or what to think anymore. He was just lost. He knew that he had to go back to his ship, to find out how the universe was going. Not so bad since the Earth hadn’t noticed anything. Humans were so focused on getting messages from space that they wouldn’t have missed something coming from up there. And the news would have talked about it again and again until something bigger came around.

 

“You should rest like the doctors said but… I can take you there if you want. To your ship, I mean.”

“You would do that for me?”

“You look very attached to it.”

“That’s the last piece of my home I have left.”

“I’m sorry,” murmured Rose, wrapping her arms around him. “But you still have me, and the kids. We’re your family. We’ll always be here for you. Even if you have to go.”

 

The Doctor didn’t say anything to that and just leaned into her touch once again. Rose felt like getting his identity back had put a wall between them. Her Maxence would have cuddled into her, but the Doctor was putting his shields back up and protecting himself from everything. Even from the woman he loved.

Rose helped him into the wheelchair she had gotten for him and made sure he wouldn’t get cold by wrapping a blanket around his shoulders. He was starting to really feel the pain but he wasn’t worried. He would probably find something in the infirmary of the TARDIS. They went downstairs thanks to the goods lift and Rose took the Doctor to the basement. He was surprised to see his beloved box so close to him.

 

“I was surprised to find it there too. It appeared a few days after I found it.”

 

The Doctor stroked the wooden box which purred, happy to see him back. Rose helped him in, but stayed in the background so he could have a moment alone with his machine. She just watched him as he stroked the console and took his time to come back into his universe.


	15. Chapter XIV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The TARDIS was making her best for him but the soft humming of the Time Rotor was sad. The ship could read his mind, and she knew everything he had gone through."

At some point, Rose left the TARDIS to let her husband have his moment with the ship he was very attached to. She didn’t belong there. It wasn’t her place to be. It was his. But, as she closed the wooden doors behind her, her doubts came back to haunt her. She was afraid to see him leave and the thought made her heart hurt. How would she live without him? How would she tell their children? She couldn’t tell them the truth. They wouldn’t understand. Even if they had half of his genes. They were half Time Lord and she didn’t know how to tell them. She would need Maxence, or whatever he was called, for that one.

In the meanwhile, the Doctor was wandering in the TARDIS. In all the places he could get into with his new vehicle. The TARDIS was making her best for him but the soft humming of the Time Rotor was sad. The ship could read his mind, and she knew everything he had gone through. Which made her as sad as he currently was. She also could feel his mixed emotions about the fact he had gotten back to his old Time Lord life, about the fact he wouldn’t be as happy as he had been as a human. He had to choose between his happiness and his duty, between a family and a lonely life. It would be unfair of him to leave Rose behind with kids that were half alien. She would need him on that one. Time Lords needed a special education and he was the only one able to provide it to them.

On the other hand, there was the question of him being paralysed. That was a real problem. He was someone always running for his life, and now he couldn’t. He was supposed to be impressive, a smooth talker, sticking his nose everywhere, frightening the bad guys. Who would be afraid of a man in a wheelchair? He was vulnerable, and that was making him feel very tiny. He could definitely not go back on the roads of adventure in that condition. His TARDIS, his loyal ship which was with him since the beginning, which had waited for him for ten years, even had troubles to make sure he could go in every room she had. She wasn’t made for a disabled Time Lord. He wasn’t made to be a disabled Time Lord.

Since he didn’t know if his next regeneration would heal his paralysis, he started thinking about all the medical cures he knew, about all the planets he had visited, about all the doctors he had met. He had talked with a lot of them, but they never mentioned any kind of paralysis. He had always been so convinced to be above it all. Convinced that his superior biology could protect him against everything. How wrong he had been! He should have paid more attention to those harms he should be protected from. He was a Time Lord, damn it! A society more advanced than any other civilisation of the galaxy, whether it was from the past, the present or the future! They should be able to fix everything.

Full of rage and self-disgust, he tried to go to the library to check his books and see if he could find something. The nanogens could have been a solution, but what would he have to give for them? How much would he have to pay if he found some? Where to find them? He needed his books. He needed his knowledge. He was rushing, rolling the fastest he could in the corridors, but he was only burning his hands on the wheels. He wasn’t used to that wheelchair, and he was being clumsy. He was having a headache and nothing good came out of his thoughts. He was erratic. You could have said crazy. He needed those answers. He needed a cure. He couldn’t stay that way. And what he should have expected happened. But he didn’t see it until it was too late.


	16. Chapter XV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Dinner time was rolling around and she still had no news from him. She was worried."

Rose stepped in the TARDIS later in the day. Maxence had been in there for hours. Dinner time was rolling around and she still had no news from him. She was worried. Anything could have happened to him. She was always impressed when she was coming into the console room. Even if she knew what to expect, it was always striking to see such a huge room in a so little booth. Her fingers softly brushed over the console. She had almost expected to find her husband standing there and playing with the buttons and levers. But he wasn’t. He would never be because he was paralysed and that couldn’t be reversed. She had to look for him in the TARDIS. It would be hard. After all, she didn’t know how big the ship was.

The TARDIS was as worried as Rose, for the right reasons. She knew what had happened to her beloved thief, and she was relieved that Rose had come around. The ship couldn’t do anything to help him while his human wife could. Sometimes, the TARDIS wished she could do more for him. She sure had kept him the safest possible during those nine hundred years and more they had spent together, but she could never do what Rose was doing for him. She liked the girl. She was perfect for the Doctor and she had proved it over the years. But now that he was back to his Time Lord self, would he still be aware of how good she was for him? Or would he push her away thinking he didn’t deserve someone like her?

However, there was no time to think about it just now. The Doctor needed help and only Rose could give it to him. So the TARDIS showed Rose the way to her husband. The blonde followed the signs given by the ship. When she arrived in the corridor the Doctor was last seen in, she saw her husband’s wheelchair laying on the side, and her Maxence knocked out on the ground. She ran to him and immediately checked for any fracture. A voice in her head told her that she could move him. She didn’t take any time to search where that voice had come from. She made Maxence roll on his back. He didn’t look hurt. Some bruises. A little cut on his head. With how badly he had been beaten, it didn’t make much of a difference.

Quickly, Rose put the wheelchair back its wheels and put the brakes on. She helped Maxence up and sat him in the chair. He was slowly coming out of his unconscious state as Rose unblocked the brakes and pushed him back to their house. She softly stroked his hair and murmured reassuring words to him. He wasn’t listening to her. He was staring right in front of him. Silent. The fall had been brutal and had brought him to his senses. He was stuck with that handicap until his next regeneration. And it wasn’t even sure that it would change something. He was left with doubts and questions. Something he absolutely hated.


	17. Chapter XVI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He was home alone when they came for him."

He was home alone when they came for him. It was a chance in a way. They couldn’t hurt them. His family. His protective side wanted him to protect them at all costs. That was why he was in this condition after all, because he had fought, but when they came this time, he was defenceless. He was sleeping. Rose was at work, and the kids were at school, but Jackie was calling him every hour to make sure he was okay. It was annoying, but if he didn’t answer, she would come here and it would be worse. And she would have been hurt. These guys didn’t have any feeling. They were just doing their job, and their job was him at the current moment.

He started when they broke the door. His instincts were overwhelmed with fear. He tried to move out of bed. He had to be quick. Now that he was fully healed – now that he was back to his Time Lord self, his superior biology had fixed him in no time – he could move more easily. His legs were still motionless and he could only crawl, but if he could go to the bathroom… He grabbed the sonic screwdriver he had gotten back in the TARDIS and sealed the doors and the lift. Whatever would happen now, they would have to come in that room. He wedged the sonic screwdriver between his teeth and transferred his body in his wheelchair. He took his phone and went to the bathroom. He sealed the door. He hated acting like this, but he had no choice. He called Rose.

 

“They’re here. They’re here for me, Rose.” He swallowed. His hand was trembling on the phone. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. You deserved so much better.” He closed his eyes. “I love you.”

 

He ended the call and hid the phone and sonic. They could have him, but they couldn’t have his technology. Nor his family. He was sacrificing himself for them. This was forcing him to realise how much that human meant for him. She wasn’t just a human woman picked by chance. She had chosen him, and the feelings he had felt when he was fobwatched were real. He could feel it deep inside his hearts. He loved her. He was ready to anything for her, and he wouldn’t let them get a hold of her. He breathed deeply. They were in the bedroom. This was the end of the road for him.


	18. Chapter XVII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "They knew what and where to look for."

Rose burst in their house. She had immediately seen that the door had been broken. There wasn’t any damage though. They knew what and where to look for. Panic clutched at her heart. She knew they had had what they wanted, but she needed to see it with her own eyes. She searched the whole house until she only had the room left. She could barely breathe, and her heart hurt. Her hand was trembling as she opened the door. The room was empty, and the bed was stripped. Maxence had been there. He was resting when they came. Sons of a bitch! Coming after a recovering man! She walked to the bathroom. His chair was here. There also were small darts. Three. They hadn’t given him any chance.

She was mad, really mad. Where was he now? What were they doing to him? Ideas rushed through her mind, and she didn’t like any of them. He wasn’t human. Not at all, and the doctors of the hospital had seen it. They had chased him like some beast. A defenceless beast. She punched the wall in anger and the pain only increased her madness at those dicks. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes. She had to calm down and find a way to get him back. Calling the police was out of the question. Not for this situation. She had to do it alone. She knew about her husband’s true nature, but she didn’t know who to call for help. She would have to handle it the best she could.

She started looking for any clue Maxence would have left for her. He had called her, taken his time to say a few words to her, to let her know what was happening. He must have left a clue on how to find him. His sonic screwdriver and phone were sealed in a plastic bag and hidden in the flush water tank. She pulled it out and examined the two devices. When she pressed the button of the sonic screwdriver, a holographic message appeared: BAD WOLF. She frowned. It wasn’t the first time she saw those words in her life. They kept appearing around her. Even before she met Maxence. If his device was sending her this message, it was for a reason, right? She had to solve the mystery quickly, before any harm was done to her dear Maxence.

She rushed downstairs, to the basement. The blue box was still there and had been locked for days, but when Rose came closer, the doors opened themselves and let her in. The interior was totally changed, and was now perfect for a Time Lord in a wheelchair. But Rose couldn’t appreciate the effort or understand it, she was too focused on the blue holograph of her beloved husband that had just appeared close to the console.

 

“This is Emergency Programme One. Rose, now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing: we must be in danger, and I mean fatal. I’m dead, or about to die any second with no chance to escape.”

“No!”

“And that’s okay. I hope it’s a good death. But I promised myself to look after you, and I will do it until my last breath. You can’t come to get me. You can’t even try. I’m serious, Rose. They will end you to keep me. Protect our children, Rose, and tell them I’ve given my life for them when they will be able to understand.”

“I won’t let you.”

“And I bet you’re fussing and moaning now, typical, but hold on, and just listen a bit more. Emergency Programme One means I’m facing an enemy that should never get their hands on my technology. So, this is what you should do: keep the sonic screwdriver and let the TARDIS die. Let this old box gather dust. No one can open it, no one will even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing in our basement. The world will move on over the years and the box will be buried. And if you wanna remember me, then, you can do one thing. That’s all, one thing.” The hologram turned to face her. “Have a good life. Do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life.”

 

The hologram gave her a sad smile, and disappeared. Tears were running down her cheeks. Anyway, no matter what he was saying, she would find him and save him from a certain death…


	19. Chapter XVIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That was the precise reason why he was here, locked in a tank of glass, completely naked."

The Doctor felt like Hugh Jackman in the origins of Wolverine, a movie he had only seen because Rose wanted to. Lots of scientific inconsistences according to him, but humans were evolving all the damn time when it came to torture. Especially on people different from them. That was the precise reason why he was here, locked in a tank of glass, completely naked. There were holes all along the lengths of the tank. For air. For their needles. They were doing all the possible tests on him and taking everything they could from him: hair, skin, blood, cerebrospinal fluid. They were examining him from all angles and he couldn’t say a thing, couldn’t do a thing. He was still, in that box, that wasn’t bigger on the inside.

They were testing his brain right now. They had put sensors all over his forehead and head after they shaved him. He closed his eyes. He certainly wasn’t gonna do anything they wanted him to do. He was pretending he didn’t understand them and sheltered away in a part of his mind they wouldn’t reach. He came back to Rose, to his children, in the world where he would always keep them safe. They welcomed him with open arms as he was walking to them. In that world, he was no alien, and he was suffering from no paralysis. He was a normal human, a normal man with a normal life. And that was all he needed right now, the love of his family to survive the torture.

It was a brand new day and they were all around the table for their breakfast. Rose was the first one to leave. She was working early today. He was in charge of the kids. He washed the dishes and everyone went to the car. He dropped the kids at school and kissed them goodbye before driving to work. He was working as a journalist for a small TV channel. He wasn’t paid much but he was happy that way. As long as he could make his family happy, he was alright. They were his most precious gifts in life. He was coming home early and picking up his children from school and they would spend the evening playing board games and watching a movie before going to bed.

It was another of these days. A normal day. Yet, something was different. He could feel it. He was working at home today. He had a new report to work on. Something about wolves as endangered animals. Tracked down for being harmful animals. But he was distracted in his researches. There were words always coming back to him. ‘Bad Wolf”. According to the internet, it was a time entity well-known of the British population. He snorted. Bollocks. Until a video spam started speaking about it. He tried to turn it off but the computer froze and he had to wait with the sound of it. The video was speaking to him and the words were directly said to him. The video was speaking to him and when the computer unfroze, he could see the face of the person and it left him speechless: it was Rose, his Rose bathed in a golden halo. What did that mean?


	20. Chapter XIX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But the machine remained desperately silent. It was like she was waiting for Rose to do something special."

“Oh, come on! You must have something for me!”

 

Rose furiously hit the console with her hands. She had been looking for something, for _anything_ that would lead her to her Maxence. She wanted and _needed_ a solution to save him from the fate he was facing. She hated the fact that he was suffering and she couldn’t do anything to help him. Her heart was breaking just at the thought of it. She clenched her fists.

 

“Please, help me,” she begged the TARDIS.

 

But the machine remained desperately silent. It was like she was waiting for Rose to do something special. The blonde was only raging and looking for a solution in a database she didn’t even understand. Not yet. It would happen, eventually.

 

“We can’t let them hurt him! He’s told me about you, about the bond you’re sharing. He’s told me you’re the only thing he’s got left from home. He said you’re alive and I wanna believe him. I wanna believe you can help me save him. Please. We gotta bring him back to safety, bring him back to his family.”

 

Rose didn’t care if it meant she had to be hurt. She just wanted to get her husband back and make sure he was safe and sound. She would do anything for him, even if she had to sacrifice herself for that. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt so powerless. She knew she couldn’t do anything on her own. She needed the blue box’s help. She needed to be introduced into the Doctor’s world. As brutal as it would be. That was what the TARDIS was expecting from her. A box with circular symbols, like the ones on the screen, appeared on the pilot seat. And there were those words. Bad Wolf. The box was for her. She immediately walked to it and opened it. There was a golden blinding light and, when she could see again, the box wasn’t there anymore. She was facing a perfect copy of her, wrapped in a golden halo.

 

“Who… Who are you?” stammered Rose.

“I’m you,” replied the double.

“How?”

“You are the lost divinity of Gallifrey, Rose, but your memory was erased. You could only get it back by choosing to save the Doctor with no second thought.”

“Of course I want to save him!”

“Are you accepting your fate? Becoming the most powerful entity known to this day will change your life forever.”

 

Rose had a choice to make, but it was already made in her mind. She wanted her Doctor safe, no matter the consequences for her.


	21. Chapter XX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Her first words were for him after she made one with her true self."

_‘I’m coming to get you. I want you safe, my Doctor.’_

 

Her first words were for him after she made one with her true self. Now, she could use the telepathy and feel him in her mind. She was warning him about her oncoming arrival to save him from the torture he was suffering from. She could use and feel everything he was going through, and that was infuriating her.

She turned to the console and started pressing buttons and pulling levers. She knew exactly what she was doing. Everything was laying there, in her mind. All that was, all that had been, all that could ever be. She was the Goddess of Time, and she had full control of it. She had the full knowledge of the Time Lords. And that power. The power burning in her veins and in her brain. She was powerful, invincible.

The TARDIS dematerialised and travelled through the Vortex until she reached the Doctor’s location. She materialised in the lab, close to the glass tank he was locked into, much to the scientists’ surprise. The doors opened themselves and bathed the room in the golden light already surrounding Rose in her new form. She stepped out of the TARDIS. The Doctor hadn’t moved. He was still in his little world and was unaware of what was going on. He would soon. Humans were quick to react. The scientists had run away in another room and were observing through the two-way mirror. As if it was gonna protect them from the rage animating Rose. They had hurt and humiliated her husband. She couldn’t leave that unpunished.

Numerous members of the security were surrounding her, their guns pointed at her, but they were confused at what they were seeing. Or was it because she was in their minds, forcing them to stand still? She compelled them to drop their weapons. It was like watching a ballet. She was having fun, but couldn’t wait anymore. She dismissed all of them and only got close to the glass tank when the last one had left the room. She opened it, and her face softened. She took away the sensors, cupped her husband’s cheek, and entered his illusion. She became the Rose of his world to reach him. She found a very confused Maxence waiting for her.

 

“What have you done?” he asked in a bland voice.

“What I had to do to save you.”

“You’re human, Rose. That power is gonna kill you.”

“That was my destiny. Accepting my true identity for you. Life, death… Those are concepts I can’t understand anymore.”

“Rose.” He walked to her and cupped her warm cheek. She was crying and he wiped away one of those tears. “I love you too much to let the amazing woman you are die.”

 

His admission hit her right in the feelings. Maxence had loved her, but now he was the Doctor and the Doctor loved her so much he was terrified of losing her. She had absorbed the Time Vortex to save him and he couldn’t let her die. He would never get over it. He needed to save her, to break that illusion and rip the power out of her.

 

“My Doctor…” her voice broke.

“Shh. It’ll be alright now.”

 

He kissed her lips and, for a moment, their minds mixed to form one and their chests burnt the way it would if someone was branding them, but they barely noticed it through the tumult of their thoughts until one of them lost it and caused a blackout.


	22. Chapter XXI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The power had been too much for her, and she had fainted, but she was in the clear. "

The Doctor was holding Rose’s body against him as he was sat in that cold glass tank. The power had been too much for her, and she had fainted, but she was in the clear. Surprisingly, no damage had been done to her. She was getting used to the power really well as if she had been meant to be a receptacle of it, and he had found out she really was. Good old Rose. Full of surprises she was! And that was simplifying the things for their family, but the problem wasn’t there. The problem was the place they were. Still in that lab, with the TARDIS’ doors open, Rose’s knocked out body and his unmoving useless legs. The security had gone, but the scientists were coming back in the room with their eyes shining with an unhealthy curiosity.

 

“Don’t you dare coming near her!” he growled at them.

 

He could see the dirty thoughts in their filthy minds. They had seen something extraordinary, they had something unbelievable in their lab and they wanted to take it piece by piece to understand it better even if they had to destroy the beauty of that thing. He wouldn’t let them do. He wouldn’t let them come closer to his wife. He darted on them an icy dirty look. He had been called the oncoming storm by the Daleks, and with the rage burning inside him right now, he truly was. However, humans didn’t know anything about his story, and they were stupid enough not to be scared of it. They were taking prudent steps though, and the Doctor held Rose closer, and the TARDIS shut her doors.

 

“You can’t do anything against us,” mocked a scientist who couldn’t be over twenty.

 

That was true. He couldn’t do anything. He was stuck in that box with a gun with hypodermic needles aimed at him. They were gonna shoot him again. Again. They were gonna stuff him with drugs and he couldn’t avoid it. He could only modify the speed of time. Make it go faster or slower. Slower would be better. The trigger was pulled. He closed his eyes. Time slowed down and he could catch the needles shot at him. He had lost his touch and missed the third one. He felt the distinct sting of the needle in his neck. A strong sleeping fluid was already spreading in his blood and numbing his body and mind. They were coming closer. They were winning. Again.


	23. Chapter XXII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It was a good thing, he had hoped there would be stars for his death."

When he opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw were stars. A starry night sky. They were shining brightly above his head. His lips twitched lightly. It could be a dream made up by his drugged brain. It was a good thing, he had hoped there would be stars for his death. Because he was dying, right? He had fought them all for Rose’s safety and they had taken him down. Good death. For the woman he loved. For the lost Goddess of Time. He had made amend for the wrong he had done and was finally going peacefully. He closed his eyes again, a soft humming was soothing him, keeping him calm and in peace. He had never thought he would go that way, so calmly, so peacefully. Some deaths were giving just that. But not to him, never to him.

His surroundings were clearer and he could hear and feel everything around him. He was aware of the light swinging of the place, the comfort of the bed he was lying in, the presence of a cold body snuggled up against him. He could hear the soft humming soothing him and the regular breathing of the person close to him. His lips twitched again. He was in the TARDIS, in his bedroom, and Rose was sleeping by his side. How they had made it to here, he wouldn’t know until she told him. Because she could only be the one who brought them back home. He looked down at Rose and ran a hand through her hair. She was deeply asleep, and her skin was cold, colder than his. And yet, she was fine. He could feel it in his core. It was new. They had a soulmate bond. A body and mind bond.

He glanced at his bare chest and saw what he expected to see. He remembered the burn in his chest when Rose and him had kissed earlier. He checked Rose’s chest. She had it too. She had created the unbreakable bond between them, a bond that only appeared between two beings who belonged together. It was very rare, and they had it. Something good for once. He turned his gaze back to his chest and observed the circular Gallifreyan tattoo forever engraved in the skin above his hearts. He couldn’t help but smile. He softly kissed the top of Rose’s head, and got immersed in her scent. She moved and let out a small groan. She cuddled closer to him. She was waking up. Her mind was becoming active again. He could feel her, her sleepiness, her love for him.

 

“Thank you,” he murmured. “Thank you for everything.”

 

He didn’t need to say more. His mind was speaking for him, and she could read it all. She smiled sleepily and nuzzled his arm. She didn’t say a word. And yet, she had plenty of questions: about their new relationship, about their future, about her. He read them all in her mind and promised her to answer later. She let him see the memories of their escape, how she manipulated minds and Time, and made everything about him disappear. And everybody lived, absolutely fantastic!


	24. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Their little routine was back on tracks after weeks of fear and pain."

It took them a while to recover from this ordeal. They had gotten back to their house, back to their little lives as if they were still humans. They pretended nothing had ever happened before the kids, and everyone was happy again. Their little routine was back on tracks after weeks of fear and pain. They had had a long talk about the meaning of Rose’s new condition. He had thought all along that she was a simple human when her destiny was linked to his. He was meant to awake her true self. Her love for him was the key, just like the watch had been his key. And now, she was a part of his world. She wasn’t exactly a Time Lady, she was above it. Now, her eyes were burning with golden sparks and an incommensurable knowledge of Time.

Sometimes, he missed the woman she used to be. Full of life and naïve at times, always smiling. Becoming the Goddess of Time had changed her at the core. She was calmer, less reckless, and the fact she knew everything about Time like him was saddening her. He could see it, in her eyes, in her mind. She had been forever altered. What she was capable of, none of them knew. They would find about it in time. Their children had changed too. They had had to tell them the truth about their parents, and about themselves. They were young, but they were so clever already. They didn’t understand it all, but they would. The Doctor would teach them all they had to know about the Time Lords, about what they would become in the future.

The biggest surprise for him was the TARDIS. When he had woken up in his room, he hadn’t thought about how he got there, and Rose had brought him back to their house while he was asleep. So, when he had wanted to show his spaceship to his kids, he had been stunned to find out she had redecorated it all. She had kept the corrals and the round things he loved, but she had made sure he would have access to all of her. The console and the Time Rotor were the same, the console was just lower. All the stairs had disappeared to be replaced by access ramps and lifts. There even was a spot for him to park his wheelchair and block it during the trips. It made him smile, the TARDIS was thinking about it all. Even his lame pilot skills.

They had kept Jackie out of their new life. It would have been too much for her. They kept their human lives for the appearances, and travelled through time and space to escape the routine. It was little trips. Away from troubles. When they were in too much trouble and had to run away, Rose was taking things in charge, and she was good at that. They met a good lad once. Jack Harkness. The Doctor hated him because of his personality, of his way of flirting with Rose and teaching their kids’ idiocies. But he was a good, trustworthy guy, and he had soon become uncle Jack. Dear Jack was also very good at physiotherapy and orthopaedics, and was forcing the Doctor to exercise his dead limbs. If at first the Doctor was very annoyed by it all, when he started feeling his legs again, hope burst in his chest at the idea of being able to walk again. And of course, they celebrated it the best way they knew: by running for their lives…


End file.
